A fifty year old white male with a right sided thalamic pain syndrome became alcohol and benzodiazepine dependent in an attempt to alleviate the pain. He entered an inpatient alcohol and drug treatment facility where, in an attempt to treat this pain, he was placed on low dose amitriptyline. Comparison of results on a symptoms checklist (SCL-90-R) completed at amitriptyline dosages of 30 mg. and 50 mg. showed a statistically significant difference in the somatization scale (p = .029). The low dose of amitriptyline used, its low blood level, and the early onset of effect make it unlikely that its antidepressant action was a significant factor in this patient's pain relief. This is, perhaps, the first described case where low dose amitriptyline has been shown to relieve the thalamic pain syndrome in a chemically dependent person.

The author describes cognitive deficits that are attributable to alcoholism and discusses the prospect for recovery of these impaired skills. Rather than viewing neuropsychological testing simply as a diagnostic exercise, the author considers the potential treatment role of this psychological subspecialty and its implication for alcoholism counselors.

Self‐efficacy in relation to one's addiction is shown to be a factor in sustained sobriety, and implications for counseling are explored.

The dually diagnosed patient with attention deficit disorder, residual type (ADD-RT) may be especially prone to cocaine abuse, because ADD includes dopamine deficiencies and cocaine is a dopamine agonist. It is hypothesized that bromocriptine, a dopamine agonist, will reduce a patient's craving for cocaine and simultaneously address the patient's ADD-RT symptoms. A single-organism, double-blind research design is used to evaluate the efficacy of bromocriptine, as measured by scale 9 of the MMPI, the digit span and digit symbol tests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale-Revised, and the signaling to numbers test. Statistical analysis of the results revealed an equivocal response to bromocriptine.

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